An asylum seeker who led police on a high speed chase while drunk behind the wheel, has been spared jail.

When Nasser Ali was eventually arrested and officers asked him how much he had drank he answered “a lot”, Teesside Crown Court heard.

Nasser, from Somalia, appeared at the court for sentencing after previously admitting a charge of dangerous driving without insurance and driving without an appropriate licence.

The court heard that on May 3 this year at 2.20am police were drawn to a vehicle driven by Nasser at the junction of Mandale Road and Thornaby Road in Thornaby.

Prosecuting, Paul Lee, said the car drove off towards Midddlesbrough Road, consistently accelerating and then braking.

He said: “At one point he came to an almost complete stop before accelerating away.

“Having travelled on to Stockton Road he reached more than 60mph in a 30mph speed limit.”

The car drove on to Newport Bridge where the driver lost control braking sharply on the bridge.

Mr Lee said it eventually collided into a lamp-post. The police car stopped alongside the vehicle and Nasser made off on foot.

A short chase followed before he was caught and arrested.

Mr Lee added: “He was interviewed under caution.

“He admitted that he had been driving but made no comment regarding the nature of the driving. When asked how much he had to drink, he said he didn’t know but said ‘a lot’.”

There was also a passenger in the car and the court heard that he was the owner of the vehicle.

Mitigating, Graham Brown, said Nasser was depressed at the time of the incident. He said he had come to the UK from war-torn Somalia after both his parents lost their lives.

Nasser was living on Teesside at the time of the offence but has now moved to London.

The court was told that he has no previous convictions.

Judge John Walford said: “Those who seek asylum in this country owe an enormous amount of gratitude to this country and they should reflect that in their behaviour and abide by the laws of this country. What you did was to put the lives of other people at risk.”

Nasser was given a 10 month sentence suspended for two years with a three month curfew requirement. He was also disqualified from driving for 12 months and ordered to pay £100 costs.